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Government Regulations

The Restaurant Industry is Subject to Substantial Government Regulation. The


restaurant industry is subject to federal, state and local government regulations, including
those relating to the preparation and sale of food as well as building and zoning
requirements. In addition, the Company is subject to laws governing its relationship with
employees, including minimum wage requirements, overtime, working and safety conditions
and citizenship requirements. The failure to obtain or retain food licenses or an increase in
the minimum wage rate, employee benefit costs or other costs associated with employees,
could have a material adverse effect on the Companys business, financial condition and
results of operations. Many of the Companys employees are paid hourly rates based upon
the federal and state minimum wage laws. Changes in federal, state or local requirements
increasing the minimum wage may result in higher labor costs to the Company.
How Do Fiscal Policies Impact the Retail Business?
Consumer Demand
Tax-related fiscal policy affects retail businesses by changing the amount of
disposable income people have to spend. Higher taxes, or an expansion of taxable items,
lowers consumers' net income, making them more budget conscious and apt to limit
expenditures to necessities. Lower taxes leave more money in consumers' pockets to spend
on goods and services retailers offer. Fiscal policy that involves government spending and
adds to the federal deficit can lead to higher interest rates. This can increase the cost of
credit and mortgages that may make consumers think twice about purchases. It also may
encourage them to save, leaving less of their take-home pay for trips to the store.
Cost of Doing Business
When fiscal policy results in higher interest rates, retailers pay more for lines of
credit. Higher interest rates, when they attract foreign investors, raise the value of the U.S.
dollar, which gives retailers more purchasing power when buying merchandise from foreign
suppliers in their local currency. Because the retail industry imports nearly 98 percent of
clothing sold in the U.S., fiscal policy can influence a retailer's operating costs. Taxes also
affect retail business expenses. Fiscal policy that increases the employer portion of wage
taxes for Social Security and Medicare add to the cost of doing business.
Investment Decisions
Fiscal policy influences how much risk a retailer takes. When Congress introduces tax
credits for investing in business expansion, or tax incentives to hire and train employees,
retailers may feel confident in hiring workers or opening new locations. Lower corporate tax
rates also free up cash to reinvest in facilities and merchandise selection.
Competitiveness
Uncertainty about the economy keeps shoppers out of stores; uncertainty about fiscal
policy makes retailers, like other business professionals, wary. As long as customers delay
major purchases and reduce their number of store visits, retail businesses must keep prices
low and cut costs, including hiring, in order to remain competitive.

Market Catalyst
The government can implement a policy that changes the social behavior in the
business environment. For example, the government can levy taxes on the use of carbonbased fuels and grant subsidies for businesses that use renewable energy. The government
can underwrite the development of new technology that will bring the necessary change.
Imposing on a particular sector more taxes or duties than are necessary will make the
investors lose interest in that sector. Similarly, tax and duty exemptions on a particular
sector trigger investment in it and may generate growth. For example, a high tax rate on
imported goods may encourage local production of the same goods. On the other hand, a
high tax rate for raw materials hampers domestic production.
Political Stability
Government policy will always depend on the political culture of the moment. Policy
crafted in a politically stable country will be different that formed in an unstable country. A
stable political system can make business-friendly decisions that promote local businesses
and attract foreign investors. Unstable systems present challenges that jeopardize the
ability of government to maintain law and order. This has a negative affect on the business
environment.
Government Spending
Governments get money to spend from taxation. Increased spending requires
increases in taxes or borrowing. Any tax increase will discourage investment, especially
among entrepreneurs, who take the risks of starting and managing businesses. Increased
spending also eats into the limited pool of savings, leaving less money for private
investment. Reduction in private investments shrinks production of goods and services.
That, in turn, may lead to the elimination of jobs.
Interest Rates
Government policy can influence interest rates, a rise in which increases the cost of
borrowing in the business community. Higher rates also lead to decreased consumer
spending. Lower interest rates attract investment as businesses increase production. The
government can influence interest rates in the short run by printing more money, which
might eventually lead to inflation. Businesses do not thrive when there is a high level of
inflation.
Regulations
Trade regulations, the federal minimum wage, and the requirements for permits or
licenses have effects on business. For example, periodic health inspections must be carried
out in all restaurants. Businesses might spend a lot of money and time to comply with
regulations that ultimately prove to be ineffective and unnecessary. Fair and effective
regulations, however, promote business growth.

Boost Productivity to Control Labor Costs


Labor issues are still the No. 1 concern of most restaurant owners and managers. Food and
beverage costs are held in check through price adjustments, portion controls and through
purchasing efficiencies. On the other hand, labor costs are not controlled by paying low
wages. First, the minimum wage sets the floor for the price of labor in the United States.
Second, and more importantly, there is a matter of supply and demand. Most restaurateurs
know there are simply not enough qualified applicants for the positions they need to fill.
Labor costs are controlled through sound scheduling and improving employee productivity.
You increase productivity through training, better kitchen and dining room layouts, and the
use of labor-saving equipment and products. That said, this article does not go into those
human resource issues as much as it addresses cost-related issues and ways to increase
employee productivity the areas in which you have most control. It emphasizes the
importance of scheduling in controlling labor costs and the ways to collect and analyze
payroll data.
General Guidelines
According to Randy White, CEO of the White-Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, a
consulting group, the cost of labor and food at a restaurant should ideally be less than 60
percent of the revenue you bring in. Labor should be less than 30 percent of the revenue.
Depending on the type of restaurant you run, though, costs may be higher or lower. For
example, if you run a full-service, white-tablecloth restaurant, your labor costs will most
likely be higher than if you run a casual dining restaurant, since you will employ more staff
to provide a higher level of service.
Divide Labor Into Groups
When you evaluate your labor costs, it's helpful to divide your staff into groups so
that you can see what groups are costing you the most. Create a group for front-of-house
staff, which includes servers, hosts and bartenders. Managers can fall into another group
and kitchen staff, including cooks and dishwashers, into a third. If you pay half your staff an
hourly wage and the other half a salary, you may divide the labor into two groups. Grouping
your staff by category allows you to see what positions are costing you the most.
Adjusting Costs
Before you can adjust costs, you need to know what the ideal labor cost compared to
revenue is. For example, if your restaurant is doing very well and is booked nightly, you may
have three servers, two food runners and a host on each night. The cost of labor at this point
may be 20 percent of your revenue. If you only book half-full each night and keep the same
number of staff on, your costs will jump to 40 percent. To get the percentage back to 20
percent, you may have to remove one server and one food runner from the schedule on
nights you know will be slow.
Keep an Eye On Things
Look at how much you are paying staff weekly versus how much the restaurant is
bringing in each week to get a good idea of your labor costs. Also keep an eye on your
employees throughout the week. If you notice that one of the two servers you schedule

during lunch frequently sits around with nothing to do, you may consider removing her from
the shift to improve costs. If customers mostly order sandwiches and salads during lunch,
you may be able to cut the fry cook from the schedule or cross-train one cook so that he can
handle multiple stations in the kitchen.
About Labor Costs
The majority of labor costs stem from paying employee wages and salaries. To obtain
a more accurate picture of the restaurant's labor costs, divide the front-of-the-house labor
with the back-of-the-house. Front-of-the-house labor includes wait staff, floor managers,
hosts, bussers and bartenders. Back-of-the-house includes kitchen staff and dishwashers. As
a small-business owner, also include the portion of all employee benefits that you pay, such
as group health insurance, in your labor costs.
Labor Cost Percentages
Varying industry standards put labor costs between 30 to 35 percent of the
restaurant's total sales. The standard for manager salaries should be around 10 percent of
total labor costs, leaving 20 to 25 percent of labor costs for hourly employees. Labor costs
tend to fluctuate depending on your restaurant's busy and slow seasons, so it's a good idea
to average your weekly labor costs to obtain your monthly labor costs. You can then use
your monthly labor cost averages to obtain your annual average labor costs.
Overstaffing
If you find your labor costs are higher than the industry standards because of
overstaffing, examine your staff schedule and cut your staff down to a "skeleton crew"
whenever possible. This applies to both front and back-of-the-house staff. If you have a
kitchen manager or executive chef who schedules back-of-the-house staff, discuss your labor
cost concerns and goals with her so she can schedule her staff accordingly.
Employee Productivity
Low employee productivity is also a factor in higher labor costs. To increase employee
productivity and decrease the restaurant's labor costs, consider cross-training your front-ofthe-house staff. For example, train some of your wait staff behind the bar. This way, on slow
nights you won't have to staff a bartender because the server can take care of your guests'
drink orders. For back-of-the-house employees, consider training them on additional food
stations. Doing so will enable one person to work multiple stations on slow nights.
Labor costs can be variable, depending on a number of factors both within your
company and outside of it. You can control some of your labor costs, but other costs will
have to be borne as the market and other circumstances dictate. Being aware of the factors
that cause labor costs to increase or decrease can help to increase your company's bottom
line.
Location
Where your company is located will impact its labor costs. Organizations that set up
shop in economically depressed areas often have lower labor costs than companies located

in places where the cost of living is higher. On the other hand, if you are seeking highly
skilled employees in an area that does not have an educated workforce, your labor costs
might be higher as you will likely have to provide financial incentives for employees to
relocate to this location.
Supply and Demand
Location isn't the only factor that determines the cost of labor in a market. Supply
and demand comes into play when you set wages, just as it does when a company is
determining the price for a product or service. If a shortage of workers exists in the field in
which you do business, your company will have to pay relatively high labor costs.
Conversely, if there is a surplus of individuals who have the skills to do the work your
company needs, your organization will have lower labor costs.
Task Difficulty
As a general rule, the more education and skills required to perform a job, the higher
the labor cost will be. Companies that must hire employees who are highly literate and have
specialized skill sets will find their labor costs are higher than organizations that can quickly
train employees to do simple and repetitive tasks. Workers who have unusual combinations
of skills can often command the highest wages.
Efficiency
When workers spend time dealing with efficiency-busters, such as poorly maintained
equipment, unproductive meetings and shortages of essential materials, labor costs
increase. Inefficient scheduling that result in overtime is another culprit behind high labor
costs. Even the layout of a building can affect labor costs. If employees must walk 100 yards
to carry out a task because of poor work flow planning, it will take much longer and cost
much more to complete the work. Changing the layout of a cross-docking terminal is how
one company in Stockton, California, reduced its labor costs, according to John Bartholdi,
director of research at the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute.

Major Digital Advancements in Restaurants


Digital Receipts

Receipts are no longer stored at the bottom of a guests pocket, to be forgotten until
they show up crumpled in the wash. Now, restaurants are finding guests where they are:
their inboxes or their phones. And best of all, theyre opting in to this communication. This is
bringing restaurants closer than ever to their customer base.

Whats more, is that some new companies are allowing guests to take care of
payment and tip through their app so that a bill never even comes to the table. One of the
number one complaints restaurants get is that guests wait too long for the bill, and this
could eliminate guests leaving on a negative. Its also possible to think that this could have
an effect on how we charge our guests and tracking and distributing gratuities.

POS Tablets

Note: Point of sale tablets is different from tableside tablets. POS tablets can be
stationary terminals that flip to face the guest at the counter or small handheld tablets
brought to the table by a server. These tablets save time by drastically reducing server trips
to the terminal. Guests complete their transaction on a handheld tablet, rather than waiting
for the server to pick up their credit card, run it, and return to the table. The time it takes for
the guest to view their bill, tip their server, and get their receipt is faster, which means the
restaurant is able to serve more people in a night. It will be most interesting to see how full
service and finer dining restaurants incorporate this type of technology into the dining
experience.

Kitchen Display Screens

With Kitchen Display Screens, processes can not only be easier on the guest side, but
also on the chef side. Menu orders communicate seamlessly and instantly to the kitchen,
and missing a ticket is no longer a possibility. Kitchen display systems are staples now at
fast food joints, but they have been advancing over the years. Cloud systems can fire items
back to the kitchen instantly from the POS tablet. Some display systems age based on
wait time, pushing the most important items to the top of your chefs list. Kitchen display
screens can actually help chefs learn about the pace of their line; how long it takes to
complete orders on average, segmented by menu group and item. This offers kitchen
managers a valuable new way to think about how their kitchens operate efficiently.

Cloud-Based Labor and Sales Reporting

Your restaurant sales are the cornerstone of your business. Why only check your
sales reports once a month, when its too late to make a change? Check them every day,
from anywhere with an Internet connection, with cloud-based software. Of course, there are
many myths about cloud-based POS software namely that its less secure but they
have all been debunked. Ultimately, you should be able to see net sales, gratuity, tips, total

guests, table turn time, labor cost percentage, payroll reports, and a breakdown of all
service types and payment methods whenever you want.
Data and numbers are a universal language; no one can argue with them, if theyre
accurate. With restaurateurs moving towards data-based models, theyre becoming more
savvy small business owners, able to create better menus, guest experiences, and work
environments.

Inventory Management

Inventory management software is a huge opportunity for restaurant owners. Many


have detailed spreadsheets, which require hours of data input, with inventory costs and
profit margins over the years. New technology is aiming to make inventory, including food
cost percentage, easier to track and manage. That way, you have no wasted opportunities
when it comes to menu engineering, and you can better impact your cost of goods sold and
profitability. This is all about having accurate numbers so that owners and managers can
take action in the right way at the right time. This will ultimately help the restaurant be more
profitable, contributing to the growth of the business and its employees.

Restaurant Hiring

Restaurant hiring apps are also becoming more and more prevalent for restaurateurs
to find their employee base where they are rather than on Craigslist. With hiring, training,
and retaining restaurant staff being the #1 challenge for restaurateurs, finding the right fit
for your restaurant is especially important. New technologies are finding ways to enhance
what managers do well when it comes to hiring and training employees for their business in
order to decrease the cost to hire and train and reduce employee turnover.
Today digital menuboards and apps such as OpenTable and GrubHub are becoming industry
standard. Customer-facing tablets allowing customers to place orders, play games, instantly review
food and service, and pay their bills will be more and more prevalent in 2015.
By now every restaurant should have a mobile-optimized, modern-looking website and a
complementary social-media campaign. In recent years the number of restaurants offering mobile
apps, online ordering, and other technology services has increased significantly.
Mobile Payments
According to some estimates, the total US mobile payments industry will grow from
roughly $52 billion in 2014 to about $142 billion by 2019. Restaurant businesses will be

leading the way. Customers will increasingly be able to order and close out tabs via their
own smartphones.
Some restaurants mobile apps let guests use their smartphones to order, pay their
bill, and then skip to the front of the line. These changes have the potential to enable
restaurants to turn tables more efficiently and improve overall quality of service.
Digital Menuboards
Digital menuboards are much more flexible than traditional fixed menuboards.
Although chalkboard menus remain popular, digital menuboards combined with cloud-based
operating systems allow a restaurant chains corporate office to customize the menuboards,
rotate offerings, and promote certain menu items.
Software Opportunity
Despite the rapid growth of a wide variety of restaurant-focused hardware and
software, operators are still looking for a single software application that pulls together
seating, ordering, payments, social media management, and back-of-house data like labor
cost, inventory, and supply chain management. It could be a gold mine for the first company
to bring a comprehensive restaurant software solution to market.
Modern technology is affecting absolutely everything as the world comes to rely on
accessibility and mobility the restaurant industry is no exception. Technology has touched
every aspect of the dining experience for both the customer and restaurateur.
Weve put together a list of 6 good (and maybe not-so-good?) ways that technology
is changing the restaurant industry.
1. Reviews
Dealing with restaurant reviewers has traditionally been a right of passage for any
up-and-coming restaurant. Today, the hospitality industry has been turned upside down with
the popularity of blogs and social media. Patrons are able to talk about their experience
online immediately, which can either spread priceless awareness and publicity or leave a
restaurant open to potentially harmful reviews. Learning to deal with bloggers and online
reviews is important for any restaurant making a name for itself today.
2. Communicating with the public
Customers turn to the internet for information onwell, everything, and if your
restaurant is nowhere to be found, customers arent likely to search for you. Most
restaurants turn to either a website or social media (or both) to stay in touch with patrons.
Chefs themselves frequently turn to the online world to communicate openly with their
guests from posting cooking videos online, to giving tips and generally building
relationships via social media.
3. Convenience of mobility

Convenience has become a modern catchphrase in every industry. Convenience is


generally about portability, time-savings, and order accuracy explains npd.com, and
modern technology is raising the standard in every one of these areas. Wait times at
restaurants are being drastically cut as servers are able to turn over their tables faster by
using mobile devices. Smart devices are also now being used to place orders ahead of time
or from designated order stations.
Convenience, however, is not reserved for patrons. Restaurants are also benefiting from the
immediacy provided by technology by being able to quickly update a menu online due to
changing seasonal foods, chef interests or local events.
4. QR codes
Depending on the country you are in, QR codes are appearing everywhere. Even on
receipts. What can these codes do for you? Well, anything a URL can do! From linking techsavvy customers to promotional or restaurant websites to asking for feedback after a meal,
QR codes are quickly gaining popularity within the restaurant industry.
5. Geolocalization
Restaurant guests are able to check into restaurants on their smart phones. Rather
than contact a friend to let them know where they are, people are now logging into
Facebook or Foursquare and finding friends according to where they last were. For
restaurateurs tapped into this technology, this can be a useful tool for identifying frequent
customers in order to offer promotions or communicate with specific customers directly.
6. Online Coupons
The value of putting a discount online is greatly disputed whether or not it drives
repeat business is a controversial point, with many feeling that online coupons do little other
than erode the value perception of a restaurant. But whether or not its good for the
restaurant, customers often to turn to coupons to try new things. For further food for thought
on online coupons, read the free Restaurant Marketing Guide.
These are just six ways that technology is changing the restaurant industry, but the
list is certainly not comprehensive. As restaurants compete for the attention of an
increasingly tech-savvy population, understanding the new and exciting possibilities, are
sure to put you and your restaurant ahead of the curve.

How Does Globalization Affect Restaurants?


Globalization is the process there is international spread and connectedness in communication,
production and technologies across the nations. It is the international integration which arises from
interchange of word products, views, ideas and other aspects of culture. Advances in

telecommunications infrastructure and transportation, including the growth in the internet are some
of the major factors which contribute much to globalization.
Globalization is an international scale of growth, a continuing process where cultures, economies and
societies are integrated. Globalization has both positive and negative effects on the world. Large
scale companies trade their products and services all over the world. People have been able to benefit
from instant internet connections (Pietro, Giorgio, Alberto, 2008). This has facilitated easier and
faster communication across the world. In addition, increased media coverage has led to
improvement in human right issues.

More Options
Globalization makes it easier for your restaurant to find ingredients. Youre not limited
to serving whats in season where youre located. Its easy to be a seafood restaurant even
in a landlocked area, for example, since fresh fish can be at your door quickly. Moreover,
globalization has increased the number of potential vendors for many restaurants, lowering
the bargaining power of suppliers and helping the bottom line. Restaurants once limited to
local farms for their produce needs now can have their vegetables flown or trucked in from
anywhere and therefore arent as vulnerable to demands to renegotiate contracts. Nor does
a freeze that damages crops locally limit your menu its easy to get those vegetables
elsewhere as well.
Increased Risk
When ingredients come from many different locations and perhaps make additional
stops in the processing and storing stages, you have less control over what happens to them
and therefore accept more risk. If bacteria on the spinach you had flown in from South
America causes your customers to become ill, globalization is no friend of yours. If you
import your beef from a country that suddenly is host to a scandal where horse meat or
other impurities have been added to the packages, youre going to have to answer
uncomfortable questions from your diners. Without the ability to visit suppliers easily and
see their operations first-hand, youre leaving more to chance.
Marketing Potential
For some restaurants, globalization offers an opportunity to sell to customers around
the world. If you develop an award-winning barbecue sauce, for example, globalization may
influence you to bottle it, market it and sell it overseas. The same would be true for
restaurants with names and logos that lend themselves to t-shirt designs. A well-crafted
website and crisp marketing copy can turn a local restaurant into a global brand.

Think Local
One way to take advantage of globalization is not to take advantage of it and brag
about that decision. Now that more restaurants are sourcing their ingredients globally, a
restaurant catering to locavores can have a big marketing advantage. Using only local
ingredients can be better for the environment, because it avoids the shipping process. It also
keeps money in the local community, which can be excellent public relations. Focusing on
local ingredients and suppliers and stressing your commitment to being a solid citizen of the
community would have been expected by everyone a generation ago, but the rise of
globalization has made this an excellent way to stand out as well.

Globalization killed the meaning of traditional food. By spreading too many


restaurants in the UAE the traditional food has changed effectively. Traditional shops
nowadays are with no earnings due to the spread of junk food restaurants. Globalization can
take the countries off their traditions by spreading the junk food, or sometimes they can
trade the traditional food but in a fast food restaurants (Topics-mag.com, 2007). Changing
traditions can affect the cultures and the build of the new generations. American restaurants
as an example can affect the traditions in the UAE because you can notice that their
uniforms and style in the restaurant is the exact of Americans, also they play songs that
none of the UAE traditions(Topics-mag.com, 2007). Children can be influenced by this new
food traditions easily. Traditional food may be affected in terms that people will no longer
interest to eat from the traditional popular restaurants. In the UAE traditions, they used to
gather for dinner and lunch, but after the spread of the junk food every member in the
family prefer to order or go to the nearest restaurant to have food.

Globalization is a worldwide scale of growth, an ongoing process where economies,


cultures and societies are being increasingly integrated. Today, it has become a very
controversial issue. Globalization has both positive and negative effects on the world.
Positive effects include the reality that large scale companies that once only outsourced to
western countries are now trading their goods all over the world. People can also now be
connected to any part of the world due to instant internet connections, making
communication faster and easier with webcams and instant chat as oppose to paper mail.
Increased media coverage is also drawing attention to human rights and violation issues all
over the world, which ultimately leads to a larger scale of improvement of these concerns.
Negative effects of globalization show third world countries losing their local culture because
of western style clothing becoming more easily and cheaply accessible. Globalization has
also led to the exploitation of labour, meaning that child workers and prisoners may be
working in inhumane conditions as the safety standards are ignored to produce cheap
goods. The internet has its negative impacts because terrorists can communicate amongst
themselves and take faster actions. There is one large issue, however, that relates to an
aspect of globalization that also is the cause of many negative effects on a society. This is
the growth of the western fast-food economy, especially in China. The spread of these fastfood chains is having an adverse impact on the Chinese economy and the health of the
Chinese population. The number and diversity of fast-food restaurants across China has

expanded at an increasingly fast rate, and if it continues then the negative trends we are
seeing now will only get worse.

Menu Planning
The Menu Planning Control Point
Menu planning is the first control point in the food service system.
The menu is a listing of the items the foodservice operation has for sale. Without a menu the
customer will not know what their options are for goods to purchase. While, a properly
designed menu serves as both a sales and marketing tool for the foodservice operation. It
can increase sales and increase the customer check average, because whenever a menu is
presented to a customer, a sales transaction begins. The food service operation's menu
creates an image of the establishment. Therefore, the appearance of the menu should be in
harmony with the image the food service establishment wants to project. The image may be
elegant, business like, fun, ethnic, or trendy, depending on what the target markets desire.
Customers are influenced by visual cues provided by the menu, such as readability, physical
design, layout, artwork, and type styles. As with other communication tools, "It's not just
what you say, it's how you say it that counts."; For example, fast-food or quick service
restaurants offer a limited number of menu items but they sell these items in large
quantities. Since their customers are served at a common sales counter, separate menus
are not needed. Customers are familiar with the standardized menu offerings, so long,
elaborate descriptions are not needed. They would only slow down the customer's decisionmaking process. Fast-food restaurants simply post names and prices of their products near
the sales counters. Enlarged color photographs of the menu items show their color and
texture and, thus, may contribute to increased sales. (However, it is imperative that the
items served look exactly like the pictures; otherwise decreased satisfaction may be the
result.) The overall effect is to convey simplicity, speed, and a limited selection of products
prepared the same way at every unit.
On the other hand, an independently owned specialty restaurant catering to wealthy,
sophisticated diners would have an altogether different menu. First, the number of menu
items would probably be much greater. To project an image of elegance, the traditional table
service restaurant might have a menu as large as a book with detailed descriptions of its
wide range of food products. Such a restaurant recognizes that its customers enjoy the
opportunity of endless possibilities normally afforded by an extensive menu. Also, since this
establishment's customers are seeking a leisurely and pleasurable dining experience, the
time it takes them to peruse the voluminous menu is no problem.
To draw attention to daily specials and highlight signature items of the operation, some
restaurants have found it useful to box these items on the menu. Another way to increase
sales of featured items is to write the menu items (possibly with prices) on a chalkboard
near the entrance. One restaurateur whose establishment specializes in fresh seafood uses a
chalkboard to list the flight arrival times of the jet-fresh catch of the day. While this approach
sacrifices a degree of elegance, it offers convincing evidence of the freshness and variety of
the operation's offerings.
Generally, dynamic or changing menus are preferable to static or unchanging menus.
However, menu variability depends on the seasonal availability of raw ingredients, the
number and kind of courses offered, the potential for using leftovers and local ingredients,
the preferences of the community, the operation's image, and the desires of its target

markets.
Another element distinguishes the menu of an elegant restaurant from that of a fast-food
restaurant: prices. In some cases, prices are omitted from extensive menus due to seasonal
fluctuations in the ingredients. For example, fresh lobster or seafood is often listed a market
price due to the daily fluctuations in price. In such cases, the management assumes either
that money is no object or that, if it is, the customer will inquire about current prices. When
setting menu prices, it is important to remember that today's sophisticated diner is
searching for the best price-value relationship. If an operation's prices far exceed the
perceived value of its menu items, this can decrease customer satisfaction and negatively
affect repeat business.
Besides showing customers the operation's plan for satisfying their expectations, a menu
serves another purpose: it functions as a plan for the entire food service system. The
success of the menu planning activity has a direct influence on the success of the other
basic operating activities. When a menu is initially planned, the resources under the control
of the food service manager must be carefully considered. Personnel, equipment, inventory,
and facilities all have an impact on menu planning.
Menu Planning Staffing
The operation's employees are important to the success of its menu. Before management
begins menu planning, the skill levels of cooking and service personnel must be assessed. It
may be helpful to consider the cooking staff and service staff separately, although their
functions are intimately related in actual operations.
The cooks, also known as the production staff, is challenged to produce the menu items. This
production takes place within the confines of the kitchen or the;back of the house. In
planning the operation's menu, the objective is to avoid overloading any one person or work
station in the kitchen. A well-planned menu features items that the operation's kitchen
personnel can consistently produce while maintaining the operation's quality, cost, and
sanitation standards.
Management should be realistic in determining what can be accomplished with the existing
staff. A poorly conceived menu increases the food cost, adds to the labor cost, and destroys
the quality control system while serving to drive away customers. However, these problems
can be avoided by organizing the menu planning function on the basis of the available food
products and personnel considerations.
The service staff transfers the menu items from the production staff and kitchen to the
customers. In order to properly serve customers, the server should be ready to answer their
questions. For example, servers should know what items are on the menu, the portion sizes
offered, how the items are prepared, and the prices. Even if the menu contains all of this
information, the server can provide a personal touch by answering customers' questions
directly. Servers should also know the meaning of all terms used on the menu so they can
explain them to any customers who are puzzled. This is particularly true if the menu includes
ethnic foods, since these items may be unfamiliar to the average customer.
Again, staff training is critical. In addition to thoroughly training new servers, some
managers call a five- to ten-minute line up meeting with service staff members before each
meal period. These brief meetings are informal training sessions, in that (a) they give the
chef and the manager an opportunity to explain daily specials, and they give the servers an
opportunity to sample portions of new menu items and ask questions.
Like the skill levels of production personnel, the skills of the service staff must be considered

in menu planning. This is particularly true if management is considering menu items to be


prepared in the front of the house,by the service staff, such as tossed salads and desserts.
Whether the operation uses tableside preparation or the more common plate- style service
depends, in part, on the image it is seeking. However, once the decision is made, the service
staff requires training in the serving skills dictated by the menu.
Suppliers are another personnel component to consider when planning a menu. Although
suppliers are not, strictly speaking, under the manager's control, these people can
contribute to the success of the business. Particularly at the menu planning control point,
their input and suggestions can be used to make the business more profitable while
enhancing the customer's satisfaction. For example, suppliers can offer preparation and
merchandising suggestions for various menu items. The excellent food service companies
utilize their suppliers as sources of creative ideas, market trend information, new promotion
ideas, and informal competitive analyses as well as purveyors of food, beverage, and nonfood items.
Equipment
Any food service establishment must make a sizable investment in food service equipment
before it can open for business. Naturally, the amount and type of production and service
equipment owned by the business determines what items it can produce and, therefore,
what it places on the menu. It is imperative to select equipment based on capacity, skill
levels of employees, energy and maintenance costs, and initial purchase price.
The addition of a new menu item may require that the business purchase new production
equipment. Such additions should not be made without an analysis of product flow and
personnel movement. With this analysis management should anticipate where cross-traffic
may create safety and sanitation concerns as well as bottlenecks in production.
A dramatically modified menu can have a devastating effect on the system if proper
equipment is not available to prepare the new menu items. For example, the addition of
banquet service to a traditional food service operation must be carefully weighed in light of
the additional constraints banquets place on menu planning and equipment. For example, if
a hotel is planning to serve a banquet for 800, all of the food items cannot be dished for all
800 guests immediately prior to service. Therefore, extra hot-holding and cold storage
equipment is essential. Also, the hotel should limit its banquet menu to items which can
safely withstand the extra handling and holding times involved.
Inventory
A menu is a listing of the items the operation is offering for sale, whereas the inventory is
the sum total of items the operation has purchased. The menu helps to create a demand for
the finished food items produced from inventory. The customer's order is a purchase
decision which results in a depletion of the goods on hand. Eventually, the operation must
replenish the inventory, if it is to continue offering the items customers are buying. It is
important to keep detailed records on the relative popularity of every menu item.
The menu directly affects the establishment's purchasing, receiving, and storing
requirements. The size of storage areas needed for raw ingredients and finished menu items
depends on the menu. One of the primary advantages of a limited menu is that it reduces
storage area requirements.
In the past, food service managers attempted to achieve diversify on their menus. Often,
this was accomplished by the addition of many new menu items. Since most items were

made from scratch, the number and variety of raw ingredients was correspondingly
increased.
Now there is a trend toward cross-utilization of menu items. That is, simplification is being
sought for the sake of operational efficiency. This strategy frequently results in a limited
menu. Alternatively, the operation can offer several menu items which use the same raw
ingredients. The objective of this cross-utilization is to prepare and serve as many menu
item selections as possible with a limited number of raw ingredients. When the menu is
carefully planned to ensure a balance of menu selections in each category, the result of
these new strategies can be a streamlining of purchasing, receiving, and storing functions.
Today, as in the past, food service managers are searching for new menu item alternatives.
However, the proliferation of high quality convenience foods has made it easier for food
service operations to offer new items without having to buy additional raw ingredients or
elaborate equipment. High quality convenience products can be purchased in semi-prepared
or fully prepared forms. Because they have built-in labor, they also reduce in-house labor
requirements. Of course, convenience food products usually have a higher AP (as purchased)
price than the raw ingredients from which they are made.
It is always best to base initial menu plans on the needs and desires of the target markets.
However, several other factors may influence the menu selection. Among these factors are:
the recommended storage conditions (time and temperature); personnel skill levels; the
product's availability and seasonality; the stability of quality and price levels; and the
operation's ability to purchase, prepare, and serve the menu item in a safe and sanitary
way.
Menu Planning and Facilities
The facilities, both indoor and outdoor, affect the image of a food service establishment. The
layout and design of the facilities are also important considerations in menu planning,
because they establish the physical limits within which food preparation and service take
place.
From the standpoint of menu planning, the kitchen and dining room facilities are a critical
resource of the business. The facilities must be adequate for the purchasing, receiving,
storing, issuing, preparing, cooking, holding, and serving of every item on the menu. Thus, a
major change in menu may necessitate remodeling of the physical facilities. By the same
token, a change in the facilities used by a food service business may force a revision of its
menu. This mutual influence can be illustrated by
Menu Planning and Change
To take another example, a hotel may decide to add room service to its offerings to generate
more revenue and profits. Again, the size and layout of the facility has an impact on the
success of the effort. For example, the kitchen may produce a beautiful and tasty eggs
Benedict entree for breakfast, but by the time room service delivers the order to the farthest
wing of guestrooms, the product is cold and unappealing. Therefore, room service menus
must be limited to those items that can be successfully and safely delivered to the
customer.
Yet another problem is created when an overly ambitious hotel sales force convinces
meeting planners that special entrees or desserts will add a touch of elegance and class to
their banquets. These salespeople have not thought about the limitations of the hotel's
production and service facilities. Again, an outdoor barbecue for 500 people in the hotel's

gardens may sound like an exciting, fun affair; but if the kitchen or service staff cannot
deliver the products, customer satisfaction will not be achieved.
In all of these examples, the unfortunate results could be prevented by structuring the
operation's offerings around what the physical facilities can realistically handle. By now it
should be clear that menu planning is a complex process, but menu planning is more
successful when the establishment's resources are taken into consideration. Because
conditions change, a food service operation's menu must change also. Menu changes are
modified by both external and internal factors.
External modifiers
Include consumer demands, economic factors, the competition, supply levels, and industry
trends. Consumer demands are perhaps the most important factor to consider in changing a
menu. Management should first decide which potential markets it wants to attract with the
modified menu. Then the proposed menu change must be evaluated in light of the negative
and/or positive effects it may have on the current clientele.
Economic factors include the cost of ingredients and the potential profitability of new menu
items. Menu items offered by the competition may dictate choices to offer or not offer. For
example, a hotel food service located next to a restaurant offering the best Oriental food in
town may elect not to serve Oriental cuisine. Supply levels relate the price to the quality and
quantity of the proposed menu items. Supply levels are highly variable for some seasonal
raw ingredients such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Industry trends are general observations
about how the industry is responding to new demands. At present, the overall trends relate
to a more sophisticated average customer who is searching for the best price-value
relationship.
Internal modifiers which may result in a proposed menu change are the facility's meal
pattern, concept and theme, operational system, and menu mix. The typical meal pattern is
breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Management must decide if existing meal periods should be
continued or altered. The target markets' expectations have a direct influence on this
decision. Any change must fit with the establishment's concept and theme. An
establishment's image may also rule out certain foods which do not blend with its theme and
decor.
Menu changes are also modified by the establishment's operational system. For example, if
extensive new equipment purchases are crucial to the successful production and service of
the menu item, the change may be too costly. On the other hand, the change may raise both
food and labor costs to unacceptable levels. Or, in some cases, the skill levels of production
and service personnel may not be adequate to successfully produce and present the new
menu item. The operation's existing menu has a certain overall combination or mix of items.
This menu mix will be affected by any change in individual items. All of these modifiers
should be evaluated before menu changes are finalized and implemented.
Finally, truth-in-menu is another menu planning consideration that is growing in importance.
Above all, accurate descriptions of raw ingredients and finished menu items are essential.
The correct quality or grade of food products must be stated. Care must be exercised when
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) grades are printed on the menu; A choice sirloin steak;
listed on the menu implies that the meat is USDA Choice grade. A product billed as Fresh
Lake Pacific Snapper should indeed be fresh from the Pacific. Other representations of points
of origin must be accurate.
The size, weight, or portion advertised on the menu also must be accurate. For meat items,
it is generally accepted that the weight listed is the precooked weight. A bowl of soup should

contain more than a cup of soup. Descriptions like &; extra tall ; drinks or ; extra large ;
salads can open the door to possible complaints from customers. All you can eat implies that
the customer is entitled to have exactly that. Fresh products are not frozen, canned, or
preserved in any way. Canned green beans are not frozen, and frozen grapefruit juice is not
fresh.
Other truth-in-menu violations may occur. The preparation technique (e.g., sauted in
butter) must be accurate. If an additional charge will be assessed for extras (e.g., Roquefort
dressing, substitutions, coffee refills), that must be clearly stated on the menu. Any pictures
used to visually display a food product should be accurate. Dietary or nutritional claims must
be precise, if used. ;Low calorie ; is vague because it implies that the product is lower in
calories but it doesn't specify what the product is being compared to. Oral descriptions by
servers are important merchandising aids. Their phrases should correctly describe the menu
selections.
Summary
The menu is an important component of food service operations. It serves as a marketing
tool, determines inventory, storage space required, skill level and number of cooking staff
and service, equipment levels and types. Care must be taken when the menu is developed
and modified to make sure the operation can handle the new additions to the menu.
Every aspect of the operation contributes to or detracts from its success. Dirty, worn, soiled,
out-of-date, and unattractive menus indicate management's lack of concern for the
establishment's image in the minds of its customers. Because they create a negative first
impression, these menus should be eliminated from stock. Someone should be in charge of
reviewing the condition of all menus before the meal period begins.

Ordering / Purchasing
The Ordering / Purchasing Control Point
Once menu planning is completed, the Ordering / Purchasing control point is the next logical
step to be addressed. In fact, the menu determines the ingredients to be purchased, the
variety of products needed, and the relative amounts. One of the major objectives of
Ordering / Purchasing is to obtain the right quality and quantity of items at the right price
from the right supplier. The goals are to maintain quality and value, strengthen the
establishment's competitive position, and minimize the investment in inventory.
More than any other basic operating activity, Ordering / Purchasing relates to cost and
quality controls. In fact, most food service businesses spend 30-50% of their total sales
revenue on product Ordering / Purchasing. Therefore, cost avoidance in Ordering /
Purchasing has the potential to translate directly to the operation's bottom line. Conversely,
the failure to properly control food costs can have a more devastating effect than
overspending in most other cost categories. It is not surprising that the primary concern of
many operators is their food cost. As costs increase, this concern grows. Rising food costs
often force management to reexamine the operation's Ordering / Purchasing needs.
In addition to the menu, several other factors dictate Ordering / Purchasing needs. First, the
forecasted sales volume is an estimate of how much business there will be in the facility on
a given day. The operation's standardized recipes can be used to work backward from the

number of servings to the amounts of ingredients needed. If there is a weight loss during
processing (as when ribs of beef are roasted), the raw ingredient amounts must be increased
accordingly.
Certain external factors also affect Ordering / Purchasing needs. The size and frequency of
orders is affected by how much lead time the supplier requires before a delivery can be
made. Also, the facility's location relative to the supplier may affect quantities purchased.
For example, a steakhouse located high in the mountains or in a rural area probably receives
less frequent deliveries than a steakhouse in a downtown metropolitan area. Since the
steakhouse located downtown obtains more frequent deliveries, the quantities ordered at
any given time tend to be smaller. Assuming the two steakhouses do the same amount of
business, the steakhouse in the metropolitan area will have less money tied up in inventory.
Of course, quantity (of food ordered or money spent) is not the only concern. Quality and
sanitation standards must also be considered in Ordering / Purchasing. A poor quality or
unsanitary product is never a bargain, no matter how inexpensive it is.
The factors affecting Ordering / Purchasing needs are directly related to the functions of the
Ordering / Purchasing control point.
The Ordering / Purchasing functions are:
1. Establishing and maintaining an adequate supply of food and nonfood products
2. Minimizing the operation's investment in inventory 3. Maintaining the operation's quality, sanitation, and cost standards
4. Maintaining the operation's competitive position
5. Buying the product, not the deal
Each of these objectives of Ordering / Purchasing will be discussed as they relate to the four
resources: personnel, equipment, inventory, and facilities.
Ordering / Purchasing and Personnel
A number of people have responsibilities related to the Ordering / Purchasing control point.
However, Ordering / Purchasing itself is a management function. It must be done by the
manager or delegated to a key subordinate (e.g., assistant manager, food and beverage
director, executive chef, or steward) . In any case, one person must be designated as the
establishment's buyer.
The buyer is responsible for the operation's Ordering / Purchasing control point. Hotels often
have a full-time Ordering / Purchasing agent. In large hotels, the Ordering / Purchasing
department consists of more than one person and is responsible for all food and nonfood
buying. Of course, not all operations can afford a full-time buyer. Smaller facilities and
independent restaurants use the manager or a key assistant as a part-time buyer.
To be successful, the buyer must possess many skills. Broadly speaking, the skills of a buyer
can be categorized as managerial, technical and other. Managerial skills are necessary
because the buyer is a part of the operation's management team. Therefore, the buyer must
be able to plan, analyze, influence, control, and see the operation as a whole. A buyer must

understand the establishment's present position and its short-term and long-term goals. This
knowledge assists the buyer in carrying out Ordering / Purchasing activities according to
management's overall plan.
Technical skills are necessary because they enable the buyer to do a more efficient job. New
information is constantly becoming available on food marketing, packaging, distribution, and
product yields. Beside textbooks, the operation's suppliers, trade journals, and industry
associations are good sources of this technical information. The buyer's level of technical
expertise also depends upon his or her knowledge of the operation's quality, sanitation, and
cost standards and of which products meet these standards. A certain amount of Ordering /
Purchasing experience may be necessary to develop technical skills.
Other characteristics the buyer should have are good interpersonal skills and high ethical
standards. Interpersonal skills are critical because the buyer must be a communicator. This
individual regularly interacts with other department heads, employees in the Ordering /
Purchasing department, and management. The buyer's communication skills are also
important when working with suppliers. Ethical standards may be difficult to specify, but
certainly honesty and trustworthiness are two important considerations. A buyer frequently
faces temptations in the form of personal rebates and under-the-table, kickbacks. It is
management's responsibility to spot-check how the business is handling the Ordering /
Purchasing functions to keep its honest buyer honest. Unannounced checks provide a
stimulus for the buyer to avoid compromising the establishment's sanitation, quality, and
cost standards.
To perform well, buyers must accomplish the five functions of Ordering / Purchasing.
Although the amount of time devoted to Ordering / Purchasing may vary with the facility's
size, all five functions are addressed by a well-planned Ordering / Purchasing control point.
First, buyers are responsible for maintaining adequate inventory levels. The objective is to
reduce or eliminate stockouts which inconvenience production personnel and disappoint
customers.
The buyer should also minimize the operation's dollar investment in inventory for two
reasons. Excessive inventories promote spoilage and potential contamination of products. In
addition, excessive inventories tie up dollars in an asset that does not earn interest. Thus,
buyers must maintain an optimum level of food and nonfood supplies.
Buyers are additionally responsible for conducting negotiations with the operation's
suppliers. The negotiations typically cover the AP (as purchased) price, quantities to be
purchased, delivery schedules, and other supplier services. An intimate knowledge of the
establishment's standards and its product needs is necessary if the buyer is to obtain
acceptable products. The buyer must communicate quality, sanitation, and cost standards to
suppliers. Also, buyers should keep suppliers informed of ways in which the suppliers can
improve their services to the operation.

Furthermore, good relationships with suppliers guarantee that the buyer will get the best
value each supplier can offer. To maintain the operation's competitive position, buyers
should continually try to improve their performance. Of course, suppliers cannot always fill

orders promptly. Some wise buyers have circumvented this problem by establishing a
reciprocal relationship with competitors. Thus, when a competitor is temporarily out of a
needed product, they lend the competitor the product from their own stock until the
competitor's order is shipped in. The advantage to the lending business is that the next time
it is out of a product, the buyer can call on the competitor and request a temporary loan.
Although they are not, strictly speaking, under the control of the operation's management,
suppliers are another human component of the Ordering / Purchasing function. The role of
suppliers has changed significantly in recent years. In the past, suppliers often had a
specialty such as produce, meat, or coffee, and they sold a limited number of these
products. Other supplier specialists were dairy, bakery, paper, sanitary and cleaning
supplies, or ethnic food distributors. Each specialist was geared to buy, store, and sell a
certain category of food products or supplies.
By the early 1970s, the supplier's role had evolved into the full-line or one-stop shopping
distributor. Today, this trend in food service distribution continues and is called the master
distributor concept. Now, many of the full-line distributors carry from 5,000 to 10,000
different products. One master distributor may be able to satisfy 90 to 100% of an
operation's Ordering / Purchasing needs. Many businesses are currently Ordering /
Purchasing most of their requirements from a small number of full-line distributors who sell
meat, produce, fresh fish, groceries, canned foods, frozen foods, cleaning supplies, paper
products, flowers for the table, utensils, and kitchen equipment. Larger operations may still
buy a few specialty items (e.g., exotic fruits and vegetables, dairy products) from a
specialist. However, a full-line distributor can probably satisfy all the Ordering / Purchasing
needs of a small business.
This one-stop Ordering / Purchasing arrangement increases product consistency and
provides Ordering / Purchasing leverage for the facility, while it builds one's trust in the
operation and gives management more time for planning, organizing, training, and public
relations. Furthermore, master distributors often provide services that a specialist cannot
give. These services include menu consulting, employee training programs, seminars, and
presentations. -These advantages make it likely that-the master distributor concept will
increase in popularity.
Regardless of a whether a specialist or full-line distributor is used, the establishment should
periodically evaluate its supplier(s) based on the following criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Sanitation policies ,
Size and services
Staff and labor relations
Ordering / Purchasing power and financial position
Products and prices Reputation

The size of the distributing company relates to its ability to meet the operation's needs.
Supplier services include arranging delivery schedules according to the food service
operation's preferences. This can eliminate overcrowding of the food service storage areas
while simultaneously avoiding stock-outs. Also, most suppliers are willing to carry unusual

items as a special service to the operation if these items are needed on a regular basis.
Other services such as menu planning assistance, employee training, and seminars have
already been mentioned.
Management often forms an impression of a distributing company based on its sales and
delivery personnel. Buyers prefer to work with knowledgeable salespeople who know their
products and help the buyer become familiar with product alternatives that will meet the
operation's needs. Also, the supplier's salesperson can provide valuable market information.
The laws of supply and demand still govern the marketplace. For example, if the distributor
learns that California is experiencing heavy rains, its sales representatives should inform the
operation's buyer that the price of California lettuce will be higher in approximately six
weeks. Similarly, as new produce items come into season, the supplier should keep the
establishment abreast of changing market conditions. Also, the salesperson should keep the
establishment informed of promotional discounts offered by processors and manufacturers.
Delivery personnel also represent the supplier. Their appearance, attitude, and courteous
contribute to the imp ression formed b the operation. In addition, labor relations factors,
such as the supplier's ability to create a team spirit among the company's employees,
should be considered.
The Ordering / Purchasing power and financial position of the supplier are important. High
volume distributors buy in larger quantities, so the unit cost is much less. Thus, a portion of
the savings can be passed on to the food service business. A supplier that is on sure
financial grounds is more likely to give the operation a fair value for its food and nonfood
product dollars.
Naturally, products and prices are a critical evaluation point for suppliers. Products should
meet the establishment's stated specifications, Distributors offering greater product variety
are able to serve more types of food service businesses. Suppliers are obligated to charge a
competitive price. When buyers evaluate distributors on the basis of price, it is essential that
they compare like items. In many cases, the edible-portion EP price is more important than
the as purchased price because the EP price takes into account the product's yield.
The reputation of a distributor relates to the supplier's reliability, consistency, and
predictability. The food service operation should select suppliers who stand behind their
products and services. It is a good idea to ask for references from the local health
department and restaurant and hotel associations before deciding which supplier(s) will
receive the operation's business. In one sense, suppliers are partners in the food service
business because they have a stake in its success. Buyers and suppliers can work together
to satisfy the desires of the operation's target markets.
Ordering / Purchasing Specifications
Many functions of the food service operation can be delayed or and Inventory stopped
entirely if the necessary quantity and quality of inventory is not available. The Ordering /
Purchasing department plays a major role in the flow of products through the food service
facility. Many areas of the operation interact with the Ordering / Purchasing department.

Therefore it is essential that the Ordering / Purchasing of inventory be properly handled. The
overall goal of Ordering / Purchasing is to obtain the necessary food and nonfood items in
the correct quality and quantity at a reasonable price. To reach this goal, buyers have many
tools at their disposal. The first tool is a set of standard purchase specifications.
Standard purchase specifications precisely define the quality, quantity, and other relevant
characteristics required in products purchased by the establishment. Standard purchase
specifications are communication tools. They require management to define exactly what is
needed. They eliminate confusion on the part of suppliers, and they facilitate the bidding
process. These specifications may be developed by a management team consisting of a food
and beverage director, executive chef, buyer, and other end users. While it might take this
team some time to develop standard purchase specifications for all the products normally
purchased by the operation, the results are well worth the investment of time. Once they are
developed, the specifications can be used over and over again for new suppliers, for
planning menu changes, and for quality control.
Quality is defined through the use of government grades or packer's brand names. For
example, the fancy, or government grade indicates a certain quality level in fruits and
vegetables. On the other hand, the quality of Heinz tomato ketchup, Swift's Premium ham,
and Minor's beef base are implied by their packer's brand names. Quantity may be defined
by the number of units per container, box, or case. Where container sizes are standardized,
the size of the container may be specified (for example, #10 cans). Other descriptions
contained in a standard purchase specification tell the supplier exactly what kind of product
is desired.
Standard purchase specifications are only useful if they accurately reflect the individual
needs of the operation. Although several specification manuals such as The Meat Buyer's
Guide and NIFDA Canned Foods Manual are available, the general specifications in these
references should be tailored to the needs of the individual operation. In-house kitchen or
performance tests can be used to alter general specifications to fit the establishment's
needs. Also, market conditions which affect availability may modify the establishment's
specifications. Ultimately, standard purchase specifications for each product must be based
on the intended use of the product.
In smaller businesses, the amount purchased is must less than in larger operations, so the
method of Ordering / Purchasing is frequently less formal. Written-specifications, bids, and
negotiations are not utilized in the informal form of purchasing. Specifications are given,
prices are quoted, and negotiations are conducted either in person or by telephone. While
this method is less exact, it is simple and it saves time for the small operator. Perhaps more
than any other control point, the Ordering / Purchasing activity is in a constant state of flux.
Conditions change from season to season, from week to week, and in some cases,
overnight.

Ordering / Purchasing and Change


Successful managers realize that their Ordering / Purchasing specifications are not cast in
concrete. Ordering / Purchasing patterns must be altered when conditions change. However,

before a change is undertaken, it is important to systematically predict and evaluate its


impact on the operation's sanitation, quality, and cost standards. Ordering / Purchasing can
be risky if menu planning is haphazard. Success objectives of Ordering / Purchasing are not
clearly understood. However, the risks can be reduced if the buyer arms himself or herself
with knowledge about the operation's policies and procedures as well as food needs.:
Knowledge of food production methods is critical to the success of the Ordering / Purchasing
control point. A buyer must know the yield of a raw ingredient in order to calculate its EP
(edible portion) cost. The buyer should also know how to modify the AP (as purchased) cost
based on how the product is prepared and served.
Knowledge of Ordering / Purchasing procedures must be a high priority if the buyer is to
achieve success. A planned, organized system-complete with written product specifications,
purchase orders, and product evaluation forms-increases the buyer's control. By carefully
reviewing issuing records, the buyer can establish par stocks (minimum quantities) for each
item the facility should have on hand. This helps to eliminate costly stock-outs. The winning
businesses know that they cannot negotiate either price or quality when they practice lastminute buying.
Knowledge of suppliers and competitors completes the Ordering / Purchasing success
formula. Suppliers can be a valuable source of market information. They can assist the
operation in the solution of yield, sanitation, quality, and cost problems. Winning food
service businesses only deal with honest suppliers. Successful operations are not afraid to
develop a reciprocal supply loan relationship with competitors because, in the end, it can be
beneficial to them to do so.
In the final analysis, excellent businesses know the difference between control and
controls. Control is the overall objective or goal management is striving to reach, whereas
controls are the devices, tools, procedures, and policies used to reach the goal. Excellent
managers are in control because they have set up a system to integrate sanitation, quality,
and cost controls.
Summary
The menu, which details the operation's product offerings, is the blueprint for the success of
a food service establishment. The menu influences the other control points in the food
service system. Menu planning must be geared to the resources under a manager's control.
The trend today is toward limited menus and cross-utilization of raw ingredients.
Ordering / Purchasing needs are dictated by a careful analysis of the menu and its standard
recipes. Ordering / Purchasing pattems evolve as market trends, sources of supply, and
customer needs change. Successful Ordering / Purchasing is the rule rather than the
exception when the establishment's representatives arm themselves with knowledge.
Control of the quality, sanitation, and cost of purchases is possible when a set of controls is
systematically utilized.

Receiving
The Receiving Control Point

The receiving function is critical because at this control point ownership of the products is
transferred from the supplier or vendor to the operation.
Receiving comes into focus after the menu has been planned and the products dictated by
the menu have been purchased. The objectives of the receiving function include inspecting
deliveries to evaluate the quality and determine the Quantity of the products, checking
prices, and arriving at an accept or reject decision. In reality, receiving practices range from
carefully checking each item delivered to allowing the supplier's truck driver to put the order
away and the manager simply signing the invoice. However, from a control standpoint, the
former method is certainly preferable to the latter one.
A carefully planned menu and skillful purchasing are useless if the operation accepts inferior
products. Conversely, good receiving techniques can maximize the results of the other
control points. Receiving success requires competent personnel, proper equipment,
adequate receiving facilities, established receiving hours, and several types of receiving
control forms.
Receiving and Personnel
The number of persons working at the receiving control point varies among food service
operations. The major determining factor is the size of the operation and its annual sales
volume. In a relatively small operation, the manager or the assistant manager is usually in
charge of receiving. In a larger operation, one full-time or two part-time people typically
handle the receiving function, and the person in charge of receiving may be called a
receiving clerk, steward, or storeroom person. This individual usually reports either to the
food controller, the assistant manager, or the food and beverage manager.
Regardless of how many individuals are assigned to the receiving function, the general
requirements are the same:
1. Familiarity with the necessary forms, tools, and equipment
2. Literacy
3. Quality judgment
4. Product knowledge
5. Sanitation judgment
6. Personal integrity, precision, and accuracy
7. Willingness to protect the interests of the organization
8. Ability to coordinate the needs of the operation's departments with the supplies being
delivered
The person in charge of receiving should be able to effectively use all equipment, facilities,
and forms required at this control point. (More will be said about these tools in later
sections.)

Because of the volume of written information used at this control point, the operation's
receiver must be able to read and write. Among other things, the receiver must be able to
check the actual products delivered against the written purchase specifications and written
purchase orders. The receiver should know acceptable product quality characteristics based
on the operation's standard purchase specifications. A knowledge of product grades, weight
ranges, and fat trim factors is crucial to the success of receiving. In addition, the receiver
should be able to assess packaging conditions. Furthermore, the receiver must be able to
judge the sanitary condition of the products and the delivery vehicle.
The receiver should be a person who demonstrates honesty and attention to detail. The
receiver's integrity ensures that the establishment's standards, policies, and procedures will
not be compromised. The receiver must be someone who takes this important job seriously.
Negligence or inaccuracy on the part of the receiver does financial damage to the business.
Clearly, the receiver must be someone who is committed to protecting the interests of the
operation. While food production experience is invaluable in the receiver, this does not imply
that any kitchen worker in the operation is qualified to perform the receiving function. Only
selected and trained employees should be permitted to receive food and nonfood products.
A facility that allows the janitor, dishwasher, or bus-person to do its receiving is opening the
door for trouble. These individuals are not in a position to recognize product problems nor
what to do about them.
A properly trained receiver, on the other hand, knows what to do when there is a problem
with product deliveries. The receiver uses his or her clout with the supplier to point out
problems to the delivery person and see that they are corrected. In this respect, the
receiving function is even more important than the purchasing function because as soon as
the receiver signs the invoice, the merchandise is legally accepted and is no longer the
responsibility of the supplier. Thereafter, any problems with the products are the operation's
problems.
Finally, the person in charge of receiving needs cooperation from other departments in the
food service establishment or hotel. The receiver must coordinate supply requisitions from
the departments with the delivery schedules of suppliers. Ideally, receiving should take
place during slow periods in the operation's daily business cycle. This is particularly
important when the receiver is also the chef, assistant manager, or manager. During rush
periods, these individuals have other duties and responsibilities. By scheduling deliveries
during slow periods, the receiver's undivided attention can be given to the receiving duties.
Receiving and Inventory
Before they become inventory items, all product deliveries must be verified. This verification
is a two step process. First, the supplier's invoice is checked-against the establishment's
purchase order and standard purchase specifications. The supplier's invoice is a document
detailing the products being delivered to the facility and the corresponding prices. (In some
cases, it also shows products which are back ordered or not yet available for delivery.) Since
the supplier uses the sum of invoices to calculate the bill, each invoice must be verified for
accuracy.

At the second step, when the order is delivered, the products themselves should be checked
against the supplier's invoice. Any products invoiced on the basis of weight should be
weighed using an accurate scale. To determine the net weight of the products, they should
be removed from their packing containers or the weight of the containers should be
subtracted from the gross weight. Different cuts of meat which are delivered together must
be weighed separately because of varying per pound prices. Any products delivered on the
basis of count should be counted before they are accepted. If more than one container of the
same product is delivered, a spot-check of random containers to verify the count may be
sufficient.
In some cases, the invoice may need to be modified because the products are spoiled, do
not meet the establishment's specifications, or the wrong quantity has been delivered. A
request for a credit memo is used by the operation to state the reasons why the products
are unacceptable and to ask the supplier to credit the invoice. The supplier should then issue
a credit memo to adjust the account. This form helps to ensure that the food service
establishment is charged only for the products that conform to its standards.
If a thorough inspection of every product delivery seems to be unnecessarily complex or
time-consuming, it isn't. The food service business can only gain from a policy of consistent
inspection. It keeps honest suppliers honest and discourages dishonest suppliers from
dealing with the operation.
Storing new inventory items in the proper order can preserve product quality and food
safety. The most perishable items (i.e., frozen products) should be placed in storage first.
Next, refrigerated meats, fish, poultry, dairy products, and produce should be rapidly stored.
Finally, the least perishable items (staple foods and nonfood supplies) should be stored.
Adhering to this order minimizes product deterioration and loss of quality. At the moment the
delivery is accepted, the safety of the food becomes the responsibility of the food service
establishment. The receiver should strive to keep the time elapsed between acceptance and
Receiving and Facilities
Proper receiving facilities are essential to the attainment of the establishment's sanitation,
quality, and cost standards at the receiving control point. Receiving facilities include inside
and outside areas surrounding the loading dock, the back door, and the receiving office.
Costs are easier to control when the receiving facilities are equipped with the necessary
tools and work surfaces. A work table or desk is essential for record keeping and
administrative responsibilities. Additional table space should be available for opening
product containers during inspection of deliveries. Adequate floor space is necessary so that
orders do not pile up in the receiving area. Overcrowding in the delivery area results in
safety and sanitation hazards.
Some establishments receive products in the same way they have done it for years. They
never bother to reevaluate the function to identify areas for possible improvement. As a
result, these operations are not maximizing their utilization of resources at the receiving
control point. There is no room for negligence, waste, or error in receiving. Evidence of any

of these problems may suggest the need for reevaluation of the receiving function.
Because the control points are all interrelated, receiving should also be reevaluated when
menu planning or purchasing activities are changed. For example, if a small operation
changes its menu, and business improves dramatically, perhaps the operation's increased
sales volume would justify hiring a full-time receiving person. The operation's orders can
only be checked in properly if the receiver has enough time and the correct tools.
Management should make periodic checks of the receiving function to evaluate how
effectively the operation is handling this control point. Regardless of the size of the business,
the more consistent and routine the receiving function becomes, the fewer problems there
will be. As with all the other control points, an evaluation of the costs versus the benefits
indicates the degree to which more sophisticated controls are required. What takes place at
the back door can make or break a business. Invoices are checked against the purchase
order and specifications. The quality and condition of each delivered item is examined. A
request for a credit memo is used for any damaged or spoiled products.
Perishable products are carefully checked by weight and/or count. Canned and staple items
are also spot-checked. When the invoice is signed, the establishment is committed to
payment. All of these procedures take time, but they increase the probability of success. The
attitude of the receiver is important to the success of the business. If the receiver is
thorough and honest, suppliers are much more likely to follow the operation's specifications.
Receiving is an important part of the establishment's overall strategy for success.

Storage
The Storing Control Point
Food must be stored at the operation in between the time it is received and the time it is put
into production. The goal of the operation is to maintain enough stock on an item so they do
not run out between deliveries. Deciding which level of each item is a tricky matter. If the
operation orders too much of an item they risk deterioration of the product and tying up too
much money while they wait to sell the item and get a return on their investment, while if
they order too little they run the risk of running out and disappointing guests.
The storage area has its goal of protecting the food service operation's food and non-food
purchases until they are needed to serve the guests. To maximize income, profits, and
customer satisfaction spoilage and contamination must be minimized. Also, these assets
must be protected from theft, pilferage, and unauthorized use.
The key to proper food storage is knowing how items should be stored having facilities and
equipment to keep the products in optimal condition while maintaining the proper inventory
levels. Keep in mind most food products do not improve in quality while in storage.
The storing function is a weak link in the cost control system of some food service
establishments. Many operations experience large losses due to contamination, spoilage,

and deterioration of their food products. These losses are usually due to the fact that no one
is in charge of monitoring the storage areas. Care must be taken that inventory is rotated to
reduce the possibility of spoilage. Although a small business may not be able to justify hiring
a storeroom person on a full-time basis, responsibility for the storage areas must be given to
one dependable employee (e.g., chef or assistant manager). The establishment's investment
in food and nonfood products is too large to be left un-managed.
The responsibilities of the storeroom person vary with the operation and the dollar value of
its inventory. (Recall that inventory ties up money but does not earn interest for the
business.) In smaller operations, the storeroom person often has other responsibilities such
as receiving, issuing, and/or production. Splitting time between these responsibilities need
not be a problem if the proper routines are being followed at each of the other control point.
The functions of the storeroom person are:
1. To conduct frequent, careful inspections of product storage areas in the facility
2. To discard food which is contaminated or spoiled
3. To reduce financial losses due to theft and pilferage
4. To monitor rates of usage of each product
5. Notify foodservice personnel of items nearing expiration dates
6. To record inventory dollar amounts using the perpetual inventory and/or physical
inventory system
The purpose of the storeroom person's inspections is to ensure that the operation's quality
and safety standards are being maintained. Proper care of inventory items contributes to the
cost control program also.
Waste in the form of spoilage and decreased product quality increases the &cost of goods
sold& expense and decreases profitability. By preserving food properly the storeroom person
makes a major contribution to the operation's bottom-line performance.
Unfortunately, thefts and pilferage are not uncommon in the food service industry. However,
the establishment of inventory controls can make these losses easier to detect. Security
precautions must be taken throughout the operation, and storage areas are no exception.
Key and lock control and the establishment of an audit trail are examples of security
measures at the storing control point.
There are several good reasons for monitoring product usage rates. First, the information
gained in this process can help the purchasing agent to establish par stocks and automatic
re-order points, thus minimizing stock-outs. Second, surplus products which are not being
used up fast enough can be brought to the attention of the production department. Then
these dead inventory items can be worked into production before they spoil, causing the
operation's food cost to increase.

Every food service business must keep proper inventory records for accounting and tax
purposes.

Storing and Equipment


Equipment is an important consideration in each of the three areas of storage: and
refrigerated, and frozen. Storage temperatures in all three of these areas must be monitored
with thermometers. A thermometer should be placed in the warmest part of each storage
area in a location where it is easily readable. The warmest area in a refrigerator or freezer
can usually be found near the door.

Storing and Inventory


Generally, the larger the inventory dollar value, the more difficult is to achieve control of the
storing function. While too small an inventory can lead to frequent stock-outs, an excessively
large inventory can cause a number of problems. Most food products, including frozen items,
experience a loss of volume and quality if stored too long.
Pilferage and spoilage losses tend to increase in direct proportion to the amount of inventory
on hand. When employees see a large quantity of products in stock, they may be tempted to
steal, figuring that one less will not be noticed. Large inventory amounts encourage waste.
Food preparation employees are not as likely to conserve food products that are obviously
overstocked.
In light of these problems, managers may wonder how to achieve an optimum inventory
level, thus avoiding shortages and overstocking. If sales are properly forecasted, purchasing
is more accurate and inventory is easier to control. But suppose an establishment finds it
necessary to maintain a large inventory, perhaps due to infrequent supplier deliveries and a
high level of sales. Is a detailed security system necessary for every product in stock? Such
a system might require a considerably larger storeroom staff, and might actually end up
costing more than the losses from thefts, spoilage, and contamination.
Realistically, the dollar value of food products dictates the minimal amount of inventory
control necessary to guarantee security. Foods can be compared by price per unit of weight
or volume. On this basis, it is clear that relatively few food products have a high dollar value
per unit of measure (pound, kilogram, quart, liter, etc.). On the average, less than 20% of
the total items in a food service operation's inventory account for over 80% of the total
dollar value of the food inventory. Therefore, the operation's inventory control measures
should focus on these high cost items.
A physical inventory is an actual count of what is on the shelves. It must be taken each time
an income statement is prepared. The physical inventory must be precise and accurate since
it is used to calculate the operation's cost of goods sold and food cost percentage.
A perpetual inventory continuously records what is in storage at any given time. As products
are added to or removed from storage, the balance is adjusted. At all times, the amount on

the shelves should agree exactly with the balance figure on the form. Although the perpetual
inventory system requires more record keeping, it offers several advantages. If filled out
accurately, the perpetual inventory form provides tight control over food products. Also,
unlike the physical inventory method, the perpetual inventory system is always up to date
throughout the month. Furthermore, the close monitoring involved in this system prevents
food spoilage from progressing uncontrolled in storage areas.
Since most operations have a shortage of personnel resources, the perpetual inventory
system is mainly used for expensive menu items such as meat, fish, shellfish, specialty
foods, expensive spices and alcoholic beverages. Using the perpetual inventory system for
costly items tells employees that these items are being watched.
Another important inventory management technique for preventing spoilage is the rotation
of food supplies on a first-in-first out (FIFO) basis. Keeping records on all spoiled food
products helps management identify areas for improvement and helps the accounting
department maintain accurate values for inventory. During the physical inventory process,
management can check each storage area to be sure that the FIFO system is being used.
The food production supervisor (usually the chef or assistant manager) should also make a
daily FIFO check.
Good housekeeping in dry storage not only reduces contamination, it also reduces fire
hazards. The light sources in storage areas should be sufficient to provide adequate
illumination for reading product labels. Refrigerated storage areas are designed to maintain
food products temperatures of 45'For less. Refrigerators and freezers require visible
thermometers so that temperatures can be checked at least four times per day-.
Refrigerated storage areas are used to prolong the shelf life of perishable foods so the FIFO
system is indispensable.
Frozen storage areas are similar to refrigerated areas except the temperature maximum is
O'F . Storage freezers require visible thermometers which should be checked four times each
day. Unsafe temperatures or faulty thermometers are to be reported to the food. production
supervisor immediately. Most food service operations do not have commercial freezing
equipment. Instead most freezers in food service operations are designed to keep already
frozen foods frozen. Storage freezers do not freeze foods rapidly but only relatively slowly. It
is important to guard against freezer burn (dehydration) or quality deterioration during
freezer storage. Careful wrapping of food products is a deterrent to dehydration and quality
loss. The food production supervisor should personally inspect each storage area on a daily
basis to be sure the operation's food and beverage assets are being protected.
Management's role at the storing control point is twofold: (1) establish the standards and
procedures to be followed, and (2) periodically perform a follow-up check to be certain that
the standards are being upheld. It is difficult for some employees to break or change old
habits which may be counterproductive. However, if they are expected to care about and
uphold standards, it must be apparent to them that management cares about the standards
enough to enforce them.
A change in storing procedures is necessary when any of the other three control points
which precede it are altered. For example, storage area requirements may change

drastically when the operation changes from an all-scratch preparation kitchen to the use of
convenience foods. More refrigerated and frozen storage areas may be necessary,
particularly in an older establishment where refrigerated and frozen storage space may
already be inadequate. Product quality and costs are negatively affected if operational
decisions are made without considering the resources of the storing control point.

Issuing
The Issuing Control Point
Issuing is more prevalent in food service operations where more than one outlet uses a food
storage area. Such as in a hotel where the coffee shop, banquets and the fine dining
restaurant all share a central dining room and a storeroom. As it would be impractical for
each of the food and beverage operations to have their own storeroom. A formal issuing
process is needed so each area can be properly charged for the food items they use. The is
crucial so an accurate food cost can be maintained for each area. As the manager of any of
the outlets in an operation you would want an accurate costing of the food you used and not
have it mixed with the other outlets that you share a storeroom,
In small operations, those with only one food outlet, formal issuing may be eliminated
entirely. In such cases, all purchases are regarded as direct purchases and charged to the
single food outlet.. Supplies are charged directly to the department or unit in which they are
used. This accounting transfer occurs even though the products are held in a central storage
area. The direct purchase system eliminates the critical from a cost control standpoint
because it is where the food products change departments. The objective of issuing is to
ensure proper authorization for the transfer of food products to production department(s) of
the operation. The issuing function should be designed to guarantee that only authorized
personnel order and receive products from the facility's storage areas. A properly designed
issuing system also aids in the calculation of the daily food cost.
Although this system is simple and less time-consuming, it does not provide as much control
as the formal system described in the section below.
Issuing and Personnel
In a formal issuing system the person in charge of the storeroom checks to determine that
each order has been properly authorized, removes product storage tags, and proceeds to fill
the order. The storeroom person then costs out each item ordered and totals the costs. A
copy of the completed requisition is sent to the operation's accounting office along with any
storage tags removed from the items. This system prevents personnel from helping
themselves to whatever they want, whenever they want it.
While putting orders together, the storeroom person should note any items in short supply
and direct this information to the operation's buyer so the items can be reordered. Careful
inspection of written requests for inventory items and accuracy are important during product
issuing. In some establishments, the storeroom person not only assembles the order for a
department, but also delivers it to that area. Prearranged issuing times for each department

can eliminate confusion and enable the storeroom person to work more efficiently.
Generally, the same kinds of equipment are used during the receiving and issuing of
inventory. Products issued on the basis of weight should be weighed before they are
released to the production department. Calculators are useful to determine the dollar
amount of each department's order and the total of all issues for the day. Handcarts and
dollies are used to transport the products from storage facilities to production areas.
Requisitions are the backbone of a successful issuing control point. Written and orders are
required from a department before any products are released. The requisition forms may be
sequentially numbered and/or color-coded by department for control purposes. Putting
requisitions in writing provides documentation and, therefore, greater control. The need for
documentation exists whenever a product is transferred from one area of responsibility to
another. In this case, the products are transferred from storage to production. Usually a
supply of products sufficient for one day or one meal period is issued to each department.
Issues should be properly costed This facilitates the calculation of daily food cost and
reminds employees to think of inventory as money. Requisitions must be subtracted from
perpetual inventory records to maintain accuracy. Daily issues help establish usage rates
and reorder points.
When products are issued, the FIFO [first in - first out] system must be followed. Proper stock
rotation minimizes spoilage, contamination, and loss of product quality. The order in which
products are assembled for issuing is the reverse of the order in which they are stored. That
is, the least perishable items are taken from storage first and the most perishable products
last. This minimizes possible contamination and maintains product temperature control. The
food production manager (chef or assistant manager) should be notified if perishable
products are nearing the end of their shelf life.
Storeroom facilities should not be left unattended if the issuing control system is to remain
intact. For maximum security, storeroom facilities should be kept locked with access limited
to the storeroom person and the manager. Staff needs to be organized and request the
items they need for the day rather than running in and out of the storage areas all day.
Restricting unauthorized access to storage areas helps to eliminate losses due to thefts and
pilferage.
It is management's responsibility to establish policies and standards for issuing. Although
some operations do not find it necessary to use a formalized issuing system, managers who
view their inventory as a form of money realize the importance of carefully controlling the
issuing function. It is management's job to follow up on the issuing control point to
determine that standards are being maintained.
Summary
Requisition forms are used to control the issuing function. Inventory items can only be issued
to employees with properly authorized requisition forms. At this control point, products are
changing departments, and documentation for cost control is critical.

Preparation
The Preparation Control Point
One of the biggest changes taking place in commercial food service is the increased use of
conveniece or pre-prepared food items. The more pre-prepared food items an operation uses
the more it can reduce its labor staff as well as prep areas. The quality of many of the new
conveniece food items approaches the quality of many 'made from scratch' food items.
Food is purchased in many different forms or degrees of readiness in a food service
operation. Many items need to be prepared before they are ready to cook or directly serve to
guests. One of the biggest changes in food service in the last 5-10 years is the degree of
preparation or process many food items receive at the manufacturer. Much of this increased
processing is due to the increased labor costs and labor shortages in many areas. It is know
possible for food service operations to eliminate certain jobs due to the increased processing
of food items reducing the amount of processing they have to do at the operations level.
The preparing function in a food service operation is also crucial to quality control. During
preparation, products begin to be converted from their purchased state to the form in which
they will be served to the customer. Mistakes made in food preparation mav be irreversible.
If poorly prepared items are served, they are likely to decrease the customer's satisfaction; if
they are thrown out, this waste adds to the operation's costs.
It is difficult to prescribe hard and fast rules for the preparing control point because there are
so many different types of food service busineses, each with different procedures and
objectives. Therefore, general principles which are applicable to most operations are
presented in t sections which follow.
Preparing and Personnel
The skill levels of preparation personnel vary from operation to operation and from position
to position.
Besides being clean and properly dressed, it is important that food preparation employees
be accurate. Accuracy reduces waste and losses resulting from improper ingredient
handling, weighing, and measuring. The accuracy with which ingredients are prepared can
also have a significant impact on the quality of the end product.
Mise en place is critical to the success of preparation and cooking. This French term, which
means, put in place, suggests that before preparation begins, all ingredients should be
assembled in the work area. Organizing in advance reduces errors and speeds up the actual
preparation process
Preparing may take place in any department in the kitchen. The salad or pantry department
is usually responsible for bulk salad, appetizer, and seafood preparation as well as the
source of canapes, hors d'oeuvres, salads, and other cold food presentations.
Preparing and Equipment
Equipment needed for preparation is based on the menu. If a menu change is anticipated,

additional preparation or cooking equipment may have to be purchased. If a specialized


piece of equipment is needed to prepare one new menu item, the cost of adding the
equipment must be weighed against the profits it will generate.
The amount of preparation equipment an operation has in its kitchen directly relates with
the number of food items it prepares from scratch compared to the number of items it
purchases prepared or partially prepared. In the last 5 or so years there has been a big
growth in the availiability in quality conveniece food items. The level of quality of a
convenience product must be evaluated by management. A convenience product should
never be purchased unless its qualitv is equal to or better than a similar product prepared in
house. Second, because convenience products offer a predetermined yield, they have an
easy-to-calculate portion cost. Third, convenience products can reduce waste. Fourth,
convenience products can help reduce the number of and skill level of the preparation staff.
In some cases, convenience food products may reduce handling and storage costs. In other
cases, storage costs increase because the products must be stored in a refrigerator or
freezer. Therefore, each product must be evaluated individually. Finally, convenience food
products facilitate menu expansion. These products can often be used in a variety of
applications and menu items with little additional effort. The scratch versus convenience
decision must be carefully evaluated before management decides to add or to rule out
convenience food products.
Food products are changed physically and/or chemically during preparation and cooking. The
objective is to enhance the food quality while protecting the safety of the food and
controlling waste. The yield of a raw product is influenced by the grade, weight, and quality
of the ingredients. Preparing and cooking must be done correctly to provide safe products
and maximum yields.
A standard recipe is a written procedure for the production of a given quantity of a food
item. It lists the exact quantity of each ingredient to be used, the sequential order in which
ingredients are put together, cooking times and temperatures, and the equipment necessary
to produce the finished product. Using standard recipes is essential to achieving consistency
in product quality, sanitation, and cost. Standard recipes permit the operator to precisely
determine the cost per portion of finished menu items.
Standard recipes should not be cast in concrete. They should be changed if conditions in the
environment or resource levels change. Standard recipes merely provide a minimum level of
acceptance. They can be used to train preparation personnel. If the production manager or
the employees can improve the results by changing the recipes, these changes should be
documented by revising the standard recipes so the changes will be known to all who use
them. New recipes copied from magazines or supplied by other establishments must be
adapted to the needs of the operation, its personnel, and its customers.
Once a standard recipe has been developed for each menu item, the cost per portion or
standard recipe cost can be calculated. Knowing the cost per portion is essential if the menu
items are to be accurately priced. A product cost analysis form is used to calculate the cost
per portion. The ingredients and amount used for a menu item can be entered directly from
the standard recipe form. Costs are derived from invoices and should be updated whenever

there is a significant change in the cost of any raw ingredient. The standard recipe cost is
calculated by dividing the total product cost by the yield (number of servings).
Preparing and Facilities
Preparation facilities vary in size and layout with the type of operation and its menu.
However, every kitchen is divided into a series of work centers in which somewhat related
products are produced. In some kitchens, certain work centers are in separate rooms (e.g.,
salad and dessert department, a la carte preparation). In smaller kitchens, all preparation
may take place in one room without any obvious divisions between work areas.
Nevertheless, the arrangement of equipment in the room provides a clue to the location of
the various work centers.
Preparation facilities should be designed to efficiently move products from the issuing
control point to the cooking control point. This avoids both congestion and delay. A minimum
of handling and transfers is also desirable from a sanitation standpoint. Adequate
equipment, work tables, lighting, and ventilation must be present in the preparation area to
enable food preparation employees to work efficiently. It may be possible to concentrate
food preparation in fewer areas to raise staff productivity levels.
To determine the layout of the preparation facilities, management must determine how
much preparation will be done in each area. For example, suppose management is
considering the preparation of fresh fruits and vegetables. Relevant questions might include
these: Will all products be prepared in a single area or will preparation take place in a
number of areas? Will the products be washed, peeled, chopped, or diced in the areas? Or
will the fresh fruits and vegetables simply be cleaned and weighed? Who will be responsible
for preparation in the areas?
All of these questions lead to answers regarding the type and extent of fruit and vegetable
preparation facilities. The answers to these questions also influence equipment needs in the
area. Perhaps in some work centers most of the products can be prepared with time-saving
mechanical equipment rather than by hand. With careful planning, essential equipment for
an area can be made available while unneeded equipment can be eliminated.
Preparing and Change
Changes in the preparing function occur daily in the food service industry. These changes
are due to continually evolving customer demands and modifications in the food processing,
manufacturing, and distribution systems. Many of these changes force food service
managers to reevaluate their preparing control point.
Preparation activities that used to be essential in every food service business are no longer
critical todav. For example, in the past every operation cleaned, peeled, and trimmed fresh
vegetables in-house. Todav, many distributors sell already cleaned and trimmed produce.
More often than not, today's operations buy pre-portioned meat products. Some are even
purchasing fully cooked and ready-to-slice roasts for sandwiches and other menu items. The
proliferation of high-quality frozen convenience doughs and bread products has minimized

the need for a full-scale in-house bake shop in modern operations.


Jn the past, most food service establishments prepared their own stock from bones and
vegetable products. Today, the simmering stockpot is considered a relic of the past in all but
a few establishments. The availability of several high-quality natural food bases eliminates
the need for the traditional stockpot. These convenience products reduce waste and
spoilage while lowering the sanitation risks of the simmering Stockpot.
Preparing and Success
Excellent operations maintain cost, quality, and sanitation standards at the food preparation
control point. Managers of successful businesses realize that planning prevents poor
performance. These individuals have developed standards for preparation because, at this
control point, there are many variables to control.
Preparing requires a coordination of departments, product flow, and personnel flow. The
objective is to not overburden or under-utilize resources. Use of a master food production
planning worksheet helps systematize the preparing control point. Standard recipes help to
ensure that menu items will be prepared in a safe and sanitary manner. These written
procedures also provide consistency for cost and quality control.
Successful operations use preparation equipment and facilities to maximize the productivity
of production personnel. If equipment is designed and located correctly, the probability of
success is increased. The winners continually reevaluate their preparation practices and
standards. Thev are not afraid to try new products and procedures which are consistent with
the establishment's standards.

The Service of Food


Serving Control Point

The serving function is critical from a cost control standpoint because menu items change
departments. It also has an essential impact on the level of guest satisfaction. This activity
may enhance or detract from the quality of food products. Manv factors affect the quality of
service in a food service operation. They include the communication and cooperation
between kitchen and dining room personnel, the flow of products, -the menu, the design and
layout of the kitchen and dining room, and the style of service. Standards of service vary
greatly with the type of establishment. Management is responsible for standardizing
ordering procedures, abbreviations, serving procedures, sanitation practices, and personnel
requirements. As with the other control points, the serving function requires sanitation,
quality, and cost controls.
Food service assumes many forms today. Besides the traditional forms of table service found
in lodging and food service operations, other types of service are becoming more popular in
hospitality establishments. Each type of service requires slightly different standards. For

example, special functions and banquets are served differently than cooked-to-order meals.
Also, when food products are prepared and transported to a catered event off the premises,
product holding becomes a critical control point. Similarly, hotel room service can be both
profitable and safe if designed with sanitation considerations in mind. Temporary food
service (e.g., outdoor functions) and mobile food service (e.g., pushcarts) also require
standards for safe food service.
Traditional Table Service
This section focuses on traditional table service, as found in establishments other than fastfood restaurants. However, some of the standards presented in this section are also
applicable to other types of food service establishments.
Serving and Personnel
'The term ;server may be used to refer to any person directly involved in the service of food
or beverages. The server is responsible for serving the customers. Many operations use
either waiters or waitresses exclusively. The image and size of the establishment generally
determine whether other positions are included in the service function.
In most cases, the positions of host or maitre d' (sometimes assisted by a captain of
service), busperson, and cashier are needed in addition to servers. The host or hostess
greets and seats customers and supervises dining room personnel. In some large or formal
dining rooms, a maitre d' supervises service and is assisted by a captain. The busperson
assists the server in the functions of setting up clean tables and clearing soiled tableware. A
cashier is frequently assigned the responsibility of handling all cash and noncash payments
from customers.
The number of employees at the serving control point is influenced by several variables.
First, the size of the business affects personnel requirements. In general, establishments
that are relatively large in size and sales volume require more people in the serving control
point. Second, the hours of service have an influence on the number of servers needed.
Third, the operation's menu affects personnel requirements, as well as the standards of
service. For example, a menu with tableside preparation of salads, entrees, and desserts
requires more servers than a menu with more self-service on the part of customers. Fourth,
the skill level of servers influences the personnel requirements. All of these variables should
be evaluated when determining the number of personnel needed at the serving control
point.
Characteristics of Good Servers. Although the skill level and capability of servers vary
according to the needs of the operation, several characteristics are desirable in all servers.
The server is, first and foremost, public relations agent for the establishment. The server
spends more time with the customer than any other employee of the operation. Therefore, a
genuine desire to please customers must be reflected in the server's work.
Second, the personality of the server is important to the serving function. A genial person is
more likely to succeed than an argumentative individual.

Third, it is critical that servers be dedicated to their work and interested in improving their
work performance. When a server does not care, customers can sense this apathy.
Fourth, initiative on the part of servers is important. Most managers prefer to have
employees that are self-starters and do not have to be told what to do every moment.
Fifth, servers must be honest to protect the operation's security and cost control systems.
Honest servers charge correct prices for all food and beverage products served. They do not
waste the establishment's resources because they recognize that these resources are
alternative forms of money.
Sixth, servers must be dependable workers. Absenteeism puts a strain on those servers who
do show up for work, so a good attendance record is important. Dependable servers come to
work on time. Supervisors depend on servers to prepare themselves and their stations for
service before service begins, to follow the supervisor's directions and suggestions, to
restock stations near the end of the work shift, and to complete closing duties before
leaving. Finally, I al in servers, as well as other personnel, is critical to the success of the
business. Loyalty embraces pride, adherence to the establishment's standards and
procedures, and a willingness to cooperate with other personnel.
All of these characteristics contribute to a person's aptitude for serving. Aptitude is simply
the capacity to learn. It may be difficult to assess a person's aptitude for serving during an
employment interview. A person's ability to learn might be indicated by the highest level of
education the person has completed. Generally, applicants with a high school diploma or the
equivalent are preferred. However, some managers 'judge the aptitude of newly hired
employees by how well they respond to the demands of the job. These managers should not
assume, however, that a new server who is not performing satisfactorily lacks aptitude. In
many cases, service employees simply need to be properly trained in order to realize their
potential.
Besides traits such as confidence, calmness, and alertness, some professional skills are
desirable in servers. Professional skills add to the efficiency of the staff and may increase
customer satisfaction. These skills, which often improve with experience, judgement,
dexterity speed and carefulness. A server's dexterity, or ease in using his or her hands
improves with practice. Dexterity is related to manual work methods. In light of the
tremendous number and variety of duties a server performs in the course of a single shift, it
is clear that increased manual skills and improved work methods are crucial to the operation
and its customers alike.
While speed is essential, carefulness in the performance of service duties must never be
sacrificed. Professional servers achieve a balance between speed and carefulness, while
amateurs try to work rapidly and become careless. Carelessness in service raises the
sanitation and safety risks. Carelessness may be evident in any service activity from writing
orders to handling equipment to following directions from the supervisor.

Before Food Is Served.

The server is responsible for several duties before the customer arrives. The tables, linens,
and chairs in the dining area should be checked for cleanliness. The tabletop setup including
flatware, dishes, and cups must be correct. Menus should be inspected daily to determine
their condition. Any unacceptable menus should be discarded. If daily specials are offered,
the servers should be made aware of the specials, their ingredients, preparation methods,
and selling prices. If clipons are used to advertise daily specials, they should be on the
menus.
Side work is the server's preparation before customers arrive and closing duties after
customers leave. Side work is all of the other duties a server performs besides waiting on
the customer. (More information about side work will be presented in the next section.)
Once the customer is seated, the server should approach the table promptly with a friendly
smile, greeting, and introduction. It is important that the server have a genuine interest in
customers. Some servers view customers are nothing more than an interruption in their day
and treat them accordingly Most of these customers never complain or tell management
that they have been treated shabbily. However, these customers do express their
dissatisfaction with the second-rate service. They simply never return to that establishment.
The attitude and actions of a server are indications of that person's interest (or lack of
interest) in the most important person in the establishment, the customer.
Prompt attention from the server is an essential component of good service. Customers
expect their presence to be acknowledged soon after they are seated. If the server is busy at
the moment, it is acceptable for the server to stop briefly at the table and explain that he or
she will be back as soon as possible. When customers are seated and left waiting with no
acknowledgment by the server for 5 minutes, this wasted time may seem more like 20 or 30
minutes to the customers. This is important when serving customers, both for personal and
monetary reasons. Courteous personnel not only make the dining experience more
enjoyable for customers, but they also make more money in tips.
Customers often ask servers additional information about the operation, its menu, and its
methods of food preparation. Most of the time, customer questions are triggered by the
menu. For example, customers mav ask how menu items are prepared. Are they fresh or
frozen? What brand is used? Where does the operation buy these products, and I what is
their geographical point of origin? How long w III it take the kitchen to prepare this entree?
Servers are expected to answer the customers' questions or, if thev are not sure, to obtain
the answers from the food production department or the manager. It is important that
customers be given correct answers to their questions; servers should not simply guess.
Truth-in-menu requirements dictate that all information provided to customers be factual.
The order is then placed with the kitchen using standard ordering procedures and
abbreviations. The order may be placed orally, in writing, or by entering it into a computer
terminal that simultaneously prints out the order in the kitchen. The kitchen processes
orders in the sequence in which they are placed by servers.
In some operations, an expeditor acts as a communication link between the kitchen and the
dining room staff. The expeditor who calls orders to the various stations in the kitchen, thus
minimizing communication problems between the kitchen and the dining room. The

expeditor also aids in quality control by checking finished food products before they are
delivered to the customer.
Timing of orders is critical to the rapid flow of products from the kitchen to the
dining room.
When an order is assembled at the pickup point, the server's tray should be carefully loaded
to reduce the likelihood of accidents. Time and money are wasted when food is dropped or
otherwise rendered unservable; production personnel have to begin all over again. Some
operations require servers to participate in part of the production and portioning of orders
for their customers. For example, servers may be responsible for portioning beverages or
soups, adding dressings to salads, cutting and/or portioning desserts, garnishing plates, and
obtaining food accompaniments such as sauces. In these cases, servers must be taught to
follow the establishment's sanitation and portioning standards at all times.
After Food Is Served.
Once the food is served, the server should check back with the table to see if the customers
need any additional items. Prompt and proper removal of dirty dishes, refilling of water
glasses, and emptying of ashtrays are essential for good service. When all the customers at
a table have finished eating, a properly totaled guest check should be presented. If the
server is required to take the customers' money and guest check to the cashier, this should
be done promptly. Then, the server should thank the customers and invite them back.
After the customers leave, the table should be cleared and reset with clean tabletop items.
This may be done by the server or a bus person. In either case, the person's hands must be
washed after handling soiled tableware and before resetting the table with clean items. After
the table is reset, the server should check to be sure that the chairs are clean and properly
arranged for the next customer.
Occasionally a server may have to handle a customer complaint. The complaint mav stem
from customer dissatisfaction with the food, beverages, prices, or service. But how should a
complaint resulting from unmet customer expectations in other areas be handled?
Quality Considerations.
Service and production personnel should be trained to recognize acceptable quality levels in
food products. Servers often perform the final quality control check for finished menu items
immediately before they are served to customers. The operation's quality standards should
be maintained at all times. It is the manager's responsibility to set quality standards for all
products. Without tasting food, its quality can be judged on the basis of appearance, texture
and consistency, and temperature.
Appearance.
Appearance components of quality vary with the product. The customer's overall impression
is formed based on color, spacing, neatness, and garnishing of the food items being
presented. Appearance is an important aspect of quality, because the old adage "customers

eat first with their eyes" is still true today. For example, fruits and baked products that are
served moist are more tempting than dried out products. The appearance of foods should
always match the pictures of the items on the menu.
Color is a component of quality when judging soups, sauces, and beverages. A bright yellow,
artificial-looking chicken gravy is unappealing to most customers. Golden brown bakery
products have good eye appeal. Casseroles are more appealing when they are evenly
browned. Fruits, vegetables, seafoods, meats, and poultry products should possess a natural
color.
The size and shape of food products contribute to their appearance. Broken, misshapen, or
ragged vegetables destroy the appearance of the entire plate of food. Portion sizes should fit
the plate so food items are not crowded on the plate or hanging over the edge.
The neatness of the food presentation makes a statement about the establishment's
standards. Food in liquid form should not spill or run over the edges of tableware. If two
foods with sauces are to be served at the same time, one should be served in a side dish.
Similarly, if a food has a runny sauce, it should be served in a side dish. Gamishes are
artistic touches which complete the picture "painted" with food on a plate. Some garnishes
(e.g., parsley, spiced apple rings, orange wedges) are overused to the point of being ignored
by customers. Several up-scale establishments use a variety of in-season fresh fruit
garnishes that are relatively low in cost and are not labor-intensive. For example, melon
wedges, strawberries, kiwi fruit and mango slices are interesting and edible.

Texture and consistency. These are also important components of food quality. Dried out
breads and rolls, broken breadsticks and crackers, wilted or discolored salads, lumpy gravies
and puddings, and runny custards are examples of poor food quality. Several operations
display photographs of standard food presentations in the pickup area in the kitchen.
Servers and production personnel can easily refer to these photographs when questions
arise.
Product temperature. Temperature contributes to the overall quali of food products. As
previously noted, hot foods (e.g., cooked cereals, soups, appetizers, entrees, beverages,
vegetables, desserts) should b served on heated tableware. Cold foods (e.g., appetizers, dry
cereals, salads, entrees, beverages, desserts) should be served on chilled table ware. When
assembling orders, the server should first gather room temperature products, then chilled
foods, and finally hot foods.
Serving and Success
Success in the serving control point depends on standards. Standards for each style of
service used should be established and monitored by management. The standards for
service vary greatly depending on the menu, the location (dining room versus room service),
the skill level of personnel, and the expectations of customers.
Excellent food service and lodging operations realize the importance of timing at the serving
control point. Winning managers continually reevaluate their service system. The system
evolves as the operation's resources change and as customers become more sophisticated.

Winning businesses design their service standards to meet or exceed customer


expectations. Each time the service style changes, the techniques of service are reevaluated
and upgraded.
Summary
The purpose of the serving control point is to deliver food products from the production
department to the customer in a way that is safe and satisfying. Resource levels influence
the success of service. Personnel skill levels dictate the style(s) of service an operation can
use successfully. The equipment used during service depends on the style of service.
Equipment should be cleaned, maintained, and stored so as to prevent contamination.
Control of the display and service of food inventory during service is critical. The last
opportunity to assess product quality is immediately before the menu item is served to the
customer. Facilities must be clean and maintained in good repair. A pleasant environment
enhances the customer's enjoyment of the entire dining experience.
Several styles of service are used to deliver food to customers. The options for table service
include plate service, tableside preparation, family-style, and platter service. Each style has
its advantages and disadvantages from the standpoint of sanitation. Regardless of the type
of service used, two goals must be given priority: protection of the product and customer
satisfaction.

The Demographic Variables That Affect a Business


There are a number of demographics that can affect a business. Demographics are various
traits that can be used to determine product preferences or buying behaviors of consumers.
Most companies identify their key customers through these various traits. They then target
consumers with like characteristics in their advertisements and promotions. Targeting
consumers with similar demographic characteristics helps maximize a company's sales and
profits.

Income
Income is one demographic variable that can affect businesses. A company's products
usually appeal to certain income groups. For example, premium products such as high-end
womens' clothing usually appeal to women with higher incomes. Conversely, people with
comparatively lower incomes are more senitive to price and, therefore, may prefer
purchasing discount products. People with lower incomes have less disposable income. Value
is a major determinant in the products they purchase. Hence, a company may best reach
lower-income people through discount retailers and wholesalers and attract higher-income
buyers in specialty retail shops.

Age
Age is another demographic element that impacts businesses. A company's products and
services are more likely to appeal to certain age groups. Younger people under 35 are often
the first consumers to purchase high-tech products like cell phones, electronic books and
video games. Certain buying groups also have more buying power than others. For example,
there are about 76 million baby boomers in the United States, according to "Entrepreneur"
online. This is the single largest population segment. These people were born between 1946
and 1964, according to "Elderly Journal" online. Baby Boomers spent $400 billion more than
any other age group, according to a a June 2009 report by "Entrepreneur." Small business
owners have much to gain by selling products to this population.
Geographic Region
People's buying preferences also vary by geographic region, which is another type of
demographic. Those who meet buyers' needs and requirements in certain geographic
regions can earn higher sales and profits. For example, people often prefer certain food and
drink flavors in certain markets. Companies that sell the flavors consumers desire in various
areas are more likely to profit. Those who do not offer these flavors may risk losing
customers to other competitors.
Obtaining Demographic Information
One of the best ways to collect consumer demographic data is through market research
surveys. These surveys can be conducted by phone, mail, Internet or in person. The key is
collecting as much demographic information as possible. Other demographic variables,
besides age, income and geography, include household size, education, occupation, gender,
race and employment status. Most marketing research professionals include demographic
questions at the end of their surveys. Warranty cards are another way to collect this
information from customers.

Price skimming is a pricing strategy in which a marketer sets a relatively


high price for a product or service at first, then lowers the price over time. It is a
temporal version of price discrimination/yield management.
Penetration pricing is a pricing strategy where the price of a product is initially set
low to rapidly reach a wide fraction of the market and initiate word of mouth. The
strategy works on the expectation that customers will switch to the new brand
because of the lower price.
Value-based price (also value optimized pricing) is a pricing strategy which
sets prices primarily, but not exclusively, according to the perceived or
estimated value of a product or service to the customer rather than according to the
cost of the product or historical prices.
Cost plus pricing is a cost-based method for setting the prices of goods and
services. Under this approach, you add together the direct material cost, direct
labor cost, and overhead costs for a product, and add to it a markup percentage (to
create a profit margin) in order to derive the price of the product.

Loss leader pricing is an aggressive pricing strategy in which a store sells selected
goods below cost in order to attract customers who will, according to the loss
leader philosophy, make up for the losses on highlighted products with additional
purchases of profitable goods.
Cost leadership is a concept developed by Michael Porter, utilised in business
strategy. It describes a way to establish the competitive advantage. Cost leadership,
in basic words, means the lowest cost of operation in the industry.

How to Develop a Marketing Strategy for a


Restaurant
Identify and learn about your target market. Every restaurant attracts a certain group
of people. The local fast food restaurant attracts a different market than an upscale
restaurant offering wine lists and caviar. Developing your marketing plan requires you to
have knowledge of your target customer. Research things such as the needs and wants of
your customers, what makes them choose to eat outside the home and what they will pay
for a dinner out.
Research the competition. In order to stand up to the fierce competition for diners, a
restaurant must know what other establishments are offering. Know their strengths and
weaknesses, and the reasons their diners are loyal to the establishment. Your own
restaurant may need to take steps to improve upon your weaknesses in order to draw
customers from other establishments. Determine what you can do to make your restaurant
stand out from the competition or what you already do that makes your restaurant different.
Build your brand. Your brand is your reputation and it represents the general expectation
of a customer when they enter your establishment. In order to build your brand, you must
solidify your reputation. Deliver on your promises; meet and surpass the expectations of
your customers consistently. Quality, impressive customer service is the best way to build
your brand.
Update your menu. Every year or so, you should go over your menu and determine what is
selling well and what needs updating. Maybe there is a group of people not choosing your
restaurant because of your menu choices. Determine if there are menu options you can add,
remove or offer to lure in new business. Publicize your new menu offerings to encourage
loyal customers to return and new customers to venture in to try your restaurant.
Create marketing and advertising opportunities. Many hotels/motels allow restaurants
to leave menus and coupons in the hotel rooms and lobby areas. If your restaurant is near a
convention center, maximize your opportunity for business during events by leaving menus
and coupons or sponsoring an event. Offering gift certificates is a marketing strategy in
itself, as one person is buying the certificate in order for another to visit your restaurant.
Offer entre samples in busy locations to entice hungry guests to visit your restaurant. Run
specials through local publications with coupons for new products, dollars off or free

products with purchase. Also, enter your restaurant into contests through magazines,
newspapers and other sponsor organizations.
Become an active part of the community. Provide meals to shelters and discounts to
nonprofits. Offer fundraising nights at your restaurant, with a percentage of sales going to a
local group/organization. Offer discounts to businesspeople who work in the neighbourhood.
This type of public relations can create a buzz about your restaurant that draws in new
customers and reengages previous or existing customers.

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